


Break the trains

by purplefox



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, F/M, Oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-19 00:20:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20200609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplefox/pseuds/purplefox
Summary: A mission with a lot of tension and a lot of risks. the danger is high but so long as you believe in yourself and the people at your back you can do your best. For the people and friends you love."Go get them Tiger""It's Panther... Skull."





	Break the trains

“Skull! We’re going to crash!” Futaba went from sliding in the passenger seat next to him to being flung sideways when the train took a turn for the worse. Ryuji swore once then he swore again as he grabbed for the lever. “Ryuji!”

One hand to grab Futaba because he was the closest and the other on the lever. There was only so much Ryuji could do but he knew what had to be done because right now they had to not die for at least twenty minutes. This train could not crash for at least twenty minutes. He was supposed to buy _him _time.

“Come on you…fuck!” He raised his left leg high enough that he could slam it on the controls. Nothing really happened except for sparks. Ryuji did not even feel better about the fucking thing damn it to hell. “Oracle! We need-“

“I need far more control than this! This is manual! It won’t let me in! is there even anywhere to be let in?” The train lurched again and Ryuji swore when he heard the others being thrown around. That was not all that it was. He could hear pounding. He could hear searching. They were supposed to be buying fucking time!

He could not let this shit keep going like this. He was not going to let this keep going like this. Thee had to be something they could do. Ryuji swore for a few seconds as he reached up high. It was a normal fucking train right? A normal train so wouldn’t there be a… something like a…

The box ahead. Ryuji tugged it and tugged it hard, papers scattered and the moment he touched one the control panel ahead of them shifted. He ignored the soft sounds of amazement from the others. Instead Ryuji reached for the lever again. Instead of pulling it he pushed it instead.

“Ryuji-“ Makoto stopped herself right away. “Skull!”

“I have this!” Ryuji snapped. He closed his eyes as he recalled the sight he had seen way too many times when he was late and on the first cart of the train. A deep breath before he reached for a button. There was a horrible screeching sound before the train began to turn slowly. “Yes!”

“Nice job Skull!” Haru was by his side before she leaned over by Futaba. “But the problem still lies with the train.”

“Where are we even?” Makoto asked softly. “We should-“ A large groan from way behind them made her still. Then a screech of something ripping. “Oracle!”

“Okay so we just lost three cars from the back.” Futaba whispered. Her voice echoed in the cart. “Joker’s life signs shows he’s still there but they are coming again.”

“We have to help Joker.” Makoto shook her head. Ryuji sighed as he reached for the lever. A deep breath before he yanked it down again. The tracks stayed the same but the train jolted. Slowing some more.

“No.” Ann stood up before she moved by Futaba. “Joker said to leave this one to him. That’s what we have to do. He said to buy him-“

“Oracle move!” Ryuji was only able to react. He had not noticed the sparks but he could smell them. “Everybody get down!” it hurt like a bitch to push his hand into the vent but when he ripped out the wire he hissed just before the muffled boom filled the cart and smoke rose.

“Skull.” A soft hiss as Yusuke’s sword sank deep into the control panel. Ryuji watched ice snuff the fire. “Are you all right?”

“I just need.” To take a breath. Joker was depending on him. He had to buy time and he had to keep them all alive. He had to keep the train going. He could not let them crash.” He smiled at the feeling of a hand smoothing across the back of his shoulders. There was his best girl. “Time, Oracle and I have this, we just need a bit more time.”

“You can drive this train?” Haru asked softly. “This thing?”

“We don’t have a choice now.” Morgana shook his head. “Skull’s already doing it. Anyone feel they can do better?”

“They are coming.” Ann said softly as she looked towards the door. “Skull has this.”

“I promised Joker.” Ryuji took a deep breath before he reached for the panel. He shoved his hand deep inside the wires, he did not even feel the jolts. Electricity was his thing. This might not be a place he can use brute force but he had been admiring trains for a long while. Cars too. he would make this do what he needed to. “I keep my promises.”

“If Skull can get me to a point that I can well you know. it’s smooth sailing from there but for the time being.” Futaba winced as she reached for the control panel. She brought up the screen. “All I can do is monitor, back him up and keep this train running.”

“Sounds good enough for me. We have to keep going.” Ann said softly. “Joker told us to keep this train on the tracks. Don’t let it crash.”

“We should help him fight! That masked bandit.” Makoto argued. “We’ve never seen anything like that before.”

“Joker said leave it.” Morgana said softly. “Leave it. He knows what he’s doing. Besides.” Morgana turned as the thumping grew louder. There was the sound of faint snarls that were slowly getting louder. “We have our own troubles to face. Soon it won’t be safe here and if Joker doesn’t have a safe place to get back to. We’re all screwed.”

“Exactly.” Ann got to her feet as she faced the door. The snarls had to be a few more carts away. “We have to defend here. Right now he’s either on top the carts or fighting in the middle. We have to clear the way for him. Fighting to him means that some can get through and get to Oracle and Skull.”

“We don’t want that.” Futaba muttered. “Fox?”

“Nothing.” Yusuke’s voice was a bit strained as he watched the number of carts visibly lessen.

“Come on man.” Ryuji muttered. “Go with them, take a few things just in case. Come up from them from behind if anything. Just don’t get sandwiched okay?” He muttered before he sank his hands deep into the wires again. “Just warning you guys, it’s going to be a bumpy ride from here on out so mind your balance.”

“Cute.” Ann smiled as she ran her eyes over him. Ryuji smiled because that was so like Ann.

“Go get them Tiger.” He grinned as her entire suit changed up. more armour, more fire.

She looked back with a snort as her mask changed to a harder, darker red. “It’s Panther, Skull.” Her smile… damn it. If they were not in such a serious situation… but they were.

“Oh my bad.” He grinned as she cracked her whip and faced the door again. “Wreck them Panther.”

“You know I will.” She threw open the first set of doors Morgana on her heels and Yusuke by her side. Ryuji could not have felt anymore proud. Except the way Ann was, he was bound to in the future.

When the doors slid closed behind the rest of them he hissed slowly and focused on the train again that was beginning to fight him again. “Sorry for being rough.” He hissed slowly as he dug his hands in the wires. “If you would show me, I would be gentle, the thing is.” He gritted. “I don’t have a lot of time.”

X

Ann had stopped backing down to monsters a long time ago. There was no way in hell she was going to back down to things like these. She heard the doors hiss closed behind them and she cracked her whip to watch flames dance.

She could not sense anything in this cart. That was good. Her blood was running hot, the new battle forms were amazing but the cost- she kept having to fight down the fire inside. She embraced it but it needed to run free.

But the battle forms did their jobs. She threw open the next set of doors. Ryuji was right about the bumpy ride. She had to adjust her balance as she checked the next empty cart. At the next one she glanced at Yusuke to see him nod and leap towards the door in the roof. She watched him disappear before she turned to Haru and Makoto. “Stay here in case any come through there.” She instructed. “Mona and I have this.”

“Are you certain?” Haru held her axe easily as she watched her.

“We have this.” Ann said softly. “Besides. “I feel them. They are coming.” She hissed slowly. She could feel them. She was almost running when she ran towards the next door that led to the next cart.

She smelt them first. Dirty and unwashed. It made her snarl as she waved her whip. It cracked sending a wave of fire right towards the first beast. A tall dark green shadow with a broken mask for a face. The hole that had a mouth had broken shards. It roared at her.

“Gotta get through us first beast!” Morgana transformed in a blaze of red fire before he shifted to bend down low and snarled. His transformation turned him to a literal black lion. His mane danced, blowing in a breeze that no one else could see. His claws were bright blue flames along with his tail.

Fire and wind, they were the perfect match up and in the case of playing defence they were the perfect team. Behind them were their team mates, behind her was Ryuji and Futaba. Tired, desperate and putting their all into keeping them safe.

Ryuji.

Ann snarled as she focused. She sent a wave of flames to dance from her whip. It curled around the shadow’s neck and she pulled hard. The shadow tried to resist but Morgana leaped forward and roared. Her flames grew and the shadow screamed.

Dirty ink everywhere but she had no time to care about that. Two shadows oozed around each other to make use of the space that had just appeared. Ann touched the healing charm that Akira had given her. It kept her from tiring too quickly. The other charm that Ryuji had given her. It was supposed to help her regain her stamina. It certainly felt as though it was doing something.

Two shadows and far more were coming. Morgana crouched low his growl a loud warning. Ann grabbed the end of her whip as she considered the shadows before she flicked her whip. Small sparks flew into the air. She curled her whip, let it dance behind the flames before she curved the direction of the lash. Almost as if she was trying to whip the air behind the flames.

The flames vanished and reappeared flying towards the shadows. Morgana slashed the air before him ripping blue fire into the air before they joined her flames. Small flames reached the shadows but when they got close they exploded.

The train rocked but Ann and Morgana kept their balance. When the smoke cleared the two shadows were gone only their smell remaining. That was until they heard the shadows. More disgusting creatures forced themselves through the open doors.

X

“Come on come on. I can’t let my guy down.” Ryuji swore as he held onto the lever. It was fighting him but he was fighting it back. Futaba had gotten more buttons to appear on the panel and she was furiously pressing them at a speed that had made him dizzy to look too long. “Come on you piece of shit!”

“Switch tracks switch tracks please just switch tracks.” Futaba murmured over and over again. “There has to be a station in this place there has to be-“ She cut off when they heard another explosion. “Skull.”

“Panther is there.” Ryuji breathed softly as he locked his arms and legs. This lever was not moving without a fight. He would not give it any more ground. “She has this, they have this.”

Damn thing would not stop trying to tilt and crash. Ryuji swore as they jolted before he slammed his foot into the control panel. Then he did it again. He did it again and again out of frustration before he froze when the metal by Futaba’s foot popped off.

A sort of open space opened. “Ryuji- Skull!” Futaba whispered. “Is that the interface?” it was glowing yellow in the hollow space inside.

Ryuji felt ready to holler in excitement. “We can turn this bad boy around!” He yelled to Futaba. “You know what this means? We can turn the tables on them!”

“Let’s do this.” Futaba grinned as she stooped down. “Buying us a little more time?”

Ryuji grinned before he threw his whole weight onto the lever. It shifted and when it did he slammed his foot on the orange button. “Skull’s got this one.”

X

She will admit. They had been fighting for quite some time but she had not thought it had been that long. She gasped when the shadows they had been fighting suddenly blew up from behind. That was until she saw the mist trail and then the black coat.

“Joker.” She whispered as she saw Yusuke step from behind him. “Did you get him?”

“Yeah I did.” Akira smiled. “Thanks Panther. You guys were really holding it down for me. I got it, we can leave here now. Where’s Skull? Does he have something to do with the lemon scent in the last six carts?”

X

“It’s real.” Ann sighed as she collapsed on the seat. “It’s really real. I’m so tired.”

“You’re not the only one.” Ryuji collapsed on the seat next to her before his gloved hand sought hers. “Hey.” He said softly. “You kicked ass today.”

“You drove a train today.” She smiled. “And stopped it from crashing. You kept us alive.”

“Just did what I had to do.” Ryuji gently pulled her to him before he sighed. “I’m so beat.”

“Tell me about it.” Ann said softly. “We were fighting those things for what seems like ages. Buying time. I’m tired but at the same time.” She raised her free hand to her face. “At the same time, I’m not. I haven’t come down yet. But this is real, we’re out.”

“That bastard is going to try and trap us again.” Ryuji said softly. “But we will be ready for him next time.”

“What the hell is he.” Ann murmured. “Those shadows, those deformed shadows weren’t right. Those were more like zombies than anything else. Are those just corrupted shadows? Is the metaverse really like this?”

“We’ll find out the more we dig I guess.” Ryuji said softly as he sat up. he was looking to where Akira stood with Yusuke one step away. Akira was examining what he had taken from the masked attacker that had trapped them. The run away train, that bastard. “Whoever is doing this, they are making it personal. They want to kill us.”

“We’re not afraid.” Ann said softly. “We’ll pay them back if they want it so badly.”

“That’s my tiger.” Ryuji nuzzled her softly. “Go get them.”

“I told you.” She nuzzled him back even as she fought her smile. “It’s Panther.”

X

“And that’s that.” Ryuji sighed as he sat on his bed. Ann murmured into his neck and he laughed softly. “The tip of your hair is wet.”

“Suffer.” She groaned as she shifted on his lap. “I’m tired, I’m sore.” A strong push to his chest and Ryuji was flat on his bed looking up at his girlfriend that wore his vest shirt, her panties and nothing else. “My blood is still hot.”

“Mine too.” He slid his hands up her thighs keeping her steady as he watched her in his dim room. “You were good today. Badass.”

“Could say the same thing about you.” A tug and stretch and her hair tumbled down. Ryuji watched it with a smile before she reached up and the shirt came off. He noted where it went flying before she dragged her nails across his chest. “You were really the leader’s second today. Hot.”

“Look at you.” Ryuji hissed as her nails bit him for a second. “Come get it tiger.”

“I told you.” Her nails dragged down his naked chest to linger at his waistband before she slipped them under it as she leaned down. “It’s Panther.”


End file.
